The Lonely
by thegunnerxo
Summary: Romeo thought he was alone at the guild this evening, but when he hears music and quiet singing, he decides to investigate.


I really love this song by **Christina Perri** and thought that it would be a beautiful representation of Wendy-I have a headcanon that she actually is very lonely when she's by herself, and that she misses Grandine more then she lets on. I hope you enjoy this, I spent a **long **time writing and editing. **I do not own Fairy Tail or the characters-that honor goes to Hiro Mashima**

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_What was that?_

Romeo Conbolt got up from his table uncertainly, blinking in surprise. Everyone had gone home, even Mira-she'd asked Romeo to lock up when he was done. Even Master had left already-it was just Romeo and the guild hall, sitting at a table and reading spells from a book by a single candle.

So why did it sound like music was coming from the upstairs?

With a clenched fist that could catch fire any moment, Romeo crept up the staircase, listening hard the way Natsu-nii had taught him; yes, that was definitely music. And it was getting louder.

The music surprised him-it couldn't be a burglar, they aren't that stupid. Besides, it sounded like someone was singing to it. The melody was so sad and haunting, Romeo had to repress a shudder up his spine. The voice quietly singing a tune to it was beautiful, clear and sharp.

He had to know what it was.

Padding down the hall, he saw a door that was slightly ajar, an orangey-light sneaking across the floorboards and out from behind the door.

The music got louder, until it felt as though it was drumming into his bones and his heart, wrapping around his brain like spiderwebs and holding tightly. With stealth he could only learn from Natsu-nii, Romeo crept up to the door and gently pushed it open, praying it wouldn't squeak.

Bathed in candlelight and twirling around the room, Wendy Marvell swayed with her eyes closed to the frighteningly beautiful song. Romeo blushed, his cheeks flaming and biting his lip. He felt improper and wrong, but he couldn't look away.

"2 am, where do I begin? Crying off my face again..." Wendy sang gently, her eyes still closed. She was dancing around the room, alone, her movements graceful for someone who spent so much time tripping. She put her arms up and twirled on one toe, her hair flying around her like a sapphire curtain.

When her dance turned her back towards the door, Romeo was shocked to see a line of tears on her face, gleaming in the shadowed light. Her lips quivered as she sang.

"The silent sound of loneliness wants to follow me to bed..." she sighed, another tear trickling down her face. It looked to Romeo like she mouthed something, but he couldn't make sense of it.

"I'm a ghost of a girl, that I used to be most."

_You're not!_ Romeo thought fiercely. _You're more alive than anyone I know!_

"I'm a shell of a girl that I used to know well..." Wendy took a gasp for air, he eyes fluttering half open as she bowed away from the door, wrapping her arms around herself and spinning, unraveling. She took in another shuddering breath, though when she sang, her voice was as clear and beautiful as ever.

"Dancing slowly in an empty room; can the lonely take the place of you?" She licked her lips unconsciously, her eyes closing once more. "I sing myself a quiet lullaby...let you go and let the lonely in, to take my heart again..."

Romeo sat with his mouth open, utterly shocked. _How could she feel such pain? How could she be so wounded when she was so happy? Wendy Marvell deserved to be happy._

"Too afraid to go inside for the pain of one more loveless night. But the loneliness will stay with me," she sang, her voice rising an octave and then breaking, a second and third tear joining the first. Wendy bit her lip and paused in the center of the room, wrapping her arms around her torso and shaking, singing "and hold me til I fall asleep."

Romeo desperately wanted to run out and hold her, to tell her it would be fine and run his fingers through her long hair until she fell asleep. He wanted to see her lovely smile, not the crushing weight of pain she wore like a personal raincloud.

"I'm a ghost of a girl, that I want to be most," she repeated, smiling grimly and reaching to cup her head. "I'm the shell of a girl, that I used to know well..."

Romeo rose, pushing the door open wider as he glided almost blindly into the room, ignoring Wendy's surprised gasp of "Romeo-san!" and grabbing her face, wiping the tears with the pads of his thumbs and looking at her, shaking his head. Without thinking, he reached for her hands and intertwined their fingers, twirling her to face him and holding firmly to her waist. When she didn't move, he pulled her along with him, stepping clumsily into a waltz. With one hand, he touched her face.

"Dancing slowly in an empty room, can the lonely take the place of you?" he sang quietly, his own voice rough and not nearly as gorgeous as hers. Wendy's eyes went wide, her mouth popping open. She continued to stare at him, shocked, only whispering "Romeo-san..."

"I sing myself a quiet lullaby, let you go and let the lonely in..."

"T-to take my h-heart again," she stammered, gazing at Romeo in wonder. "Broken pieces of a barely breathing story..."

Romeo looked at her, stepping agilely to avoid the corner they danced towards and nodded, silently communicating to continue.

"Where th-there once was love...n-now there's onl-ly me," Wendy choked, pursing her lips. Romeo tilted her face up to look at him, conveying the empty feeling he shared with her, with having no one to talk to. He'd found a kindred spirit in the most beautiful girl he'd ever known, and he wanted her to realize it.

"And the lonely," he added quietly, barely breathing.

"Dancing slowly in an empty room-"

"Can the lonely take the place of you?"

"I sing myself a quiet lullaby..."

"Let you go and let the lonely in-"

"To take my heart again," Wendy finished, the music quieting and ending with their footsteps, until they stopped in the center of the room, both taking deep breaths.

"You have a lovely voice," Romeo told her, beaming at her. Wendy only stared.

"Uh...uh-huh. You do too, Romeo-kun." He started at the change of suffix, the familiarity of the way she breathed his name. With a little strangled gasp, he realized that he and Wendy both remained to hold each other, and he jumped backwards, scratching his head in embarrassment.

"Um...did you write that?"

"Yeah, it was just my way of...um...keeping a diary." Wendy's eyes settled and stayed glued to the floor, chewing on her lip.

"It's pretty," Romeo finished lamely, swallowing. "What's it about?"

When Wendy's breath caught suddenly in her throat and she finally looked up, looking like she was going to cry, Romeo backtracked.

"Oh no, you don't have to tell me! I-I'm sorry!"

"Grandine," Wendy whispered. "It's about Grandine. Since she, uh, left me. It's been pretty lonely. It's not so bad all the time, I mean...I have everyone at the guild, and Charle. Sometimes I just get really sad."

"I'm pretty lonely too," Romeo admitted, and he blushed. "W-why don't we be lonely together?"

Wendy's mouth popped open, and she nodded shyly, offering her hand. "I'd like that."

Romeo took it gently, and they left the room together, the music starting up again and playing softly, wordlessly behind them.


End file.
